After a year of reorganization, the Beaulieu Group is back with a full executive team, a new Bliss collection and a marketing plan to make its new Indulgence a winner in the soft carpet sweepstakes, according to Beaulieu executives.

Looking to leverage its strengths, Beaulieu has clearly defined roles for its leadership, according to Ralph Boe, who continues as CEO of the company. Since last April, Karel Vercruyssen has served as president and COO of the Beaulieu Group as well as CEO and president of Beaulieu Canada. Vercruyssen oversees all company operations, while Boe handles sales, marketing, distribution and customer service.

The next Beaulieu generation is learning the carpet business, according to Carl Bouckaert, a founder and owner of Beaulieu, whose sons have joined the company. Nicolas Bouckaert is now president of the Beaulieu Commercial division and Stanley Bouckaert is heading up special projects. “Their involvement is an indication of the family’s commitment to the business,” said Bouckaert, who is a Beaulieu board member. “But, it’s a meritocracy. They have to bring something to the table and work as hard as everyone else.”

In October 2012, the company brought on Gary Fisher as executive vice president of marketing for its residential products. With 20 years experience working on such well-known consumer brands as Nabisco, Corning, L’Oreal, Choice Hotels and Capital One Financial, Fisher is planning ways to boost Beaulieu’s consumer awareness.

In the past year, Vercruyssen created operations efficiencies. “Every company has opportunities for improvement,” he said. “We streamlined material flow in a more logical way and reduced the number of facilities because the market was not coming back. Holding on to capacity that wasn’t being used is not efficient. But we haven’t sold equipment. If there is a significant recovery, we can bring it back,” he explained.
Beaulieu expects 2013 to be a better year, but will maintain a conservative approach. “We need to be realistic,” Vercruyssen added. “All the big suppliers have adjusted capacity and we think the demand will be about the same for the near term future.”
The company is ready for whatever the market needs. Boe stressed, “Beaulieu today has a great team — both outside and inside. Our customer service inside is excellent and our quality that goes out is as good as the best in the industry.”

Indulge with Indulgence
With more efficient manufacturing in place, Beaulieu has refocused its residential carpet line on better goods, according to Boe. Setting out to offer carpet with real solutions to everyday consumer problems, the company first introduced Magic Fresh, an odor reducing treatment and a carpet collection named for the scent reducer. Healthy Touch, a collection made of soft 100 percent SoftSense polyester filament fiber with Magic Fresh and Silver Release, an antimicrobial treatment, followed. EverClean, a carpet made of solution dyed polyester filament with Magic Fresh, launched in 2012.

Now Beaulieu is launching a carpet that offers solutions — softly. Overseeing product development, Vercruyssen worked with Danny Wade, senior vice president of product development, to create the new Bliss Indulgence. Made of proprietary PermaSoft 100 percent solution dyed nylon, Indulgence features Wrinkle Guard backing, as well as Magic Fresh and Scotchgard Protector by 3M. Indulgence also carries the Bliss Serenity Guarantee, which according to the company, includes a Lifetime No-Exclusion Stain Removal Warranty, as well as other category-leading warranties.

Even the process of naming the new collection is different, according to Fisher. “In the past, we looked at the functional attributes and came up with a name related to those aspects,” Fisher said. “This time, we wanted to develop an image and build in more sophistication and sensuality that can connote a product in a fashion business. We can engage women in a broader way and create more of an experience.”
Beaulieu is planning on creating buzz about Indulgence that will motivate shoppers. “They may not have the name recognition for Bliss Indulgence, but they will want that soft carpet with the odor reducing feature and that wonderful guarantee,” Fisher said.

“Even the backing, Wrinkle Guard, is a special feature that the consumer might be looking for and when they look for a carpet (online) that doesn’t wrinkle, they will find Bliss. We want to be there when they look for carpet,” he stressed. “By focusing on the Bliss website, on social media and consumer promotion programs, we will create a good level of awareness.”
Beaulieu was thinking of crowded retail floors when it developed the Indulgence display. Boe pointed out, “There is so much sampling in the flooring business — so many big racks and big floor displays. We created a smaller display with a variety of styles.”

The display can be moved easily and fits as an end cap. Some retailers are ordering more than one. It holds seven styles with large product blanket samples.